


SV: Zero

by fhsa_archivist



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, Episode Related, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-11
Updated: 2006-02-11
Packaged: 2019-02-05 17:32:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12799047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fhsa_archivist/pseuds/fhsa_archivist
Summary: Something from Lex's past is coming back to haunt Smallville, and Chloe's investigation into Clark's life reveals a surprising secret.





	SV: Zero

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

  
Author's notes: Spoilers: Zero   


* * *

It was the last period on Friday afternoon, but that wasn't why Clark Kent was itching to get out of class. He was a teenager with more secrets than most of his classmates, and not only was their weekend assignment an interview, but the person who'd drawn his name had an appetite for knowledge. Especially knowledge of him.

 

Chloe Sullivan was everything a self-assured, straight young man could want - but Clark was neither self-assured nor straight. So maybe it was Chloe's aggressive side that attracted him to her. It was also what made him fear her. She was more than just a blonde who stood more than a foot shorter than he, she was also intelligent and curious - a combination that made a man of secrets want to avoid her.

 

It was one of his many not-normal abilities that allowed Clark to know his was the name on her piece of paper; eyes that could see through almost anything. Unfortunately, his ability was more literal than metaphorical, because he tended to trust too easily. Even Lex who was a Luthor every single day of his life. His parents kept warning him that one day, the Luthor side of Lex would show, and Clark would see the truth about the man he called his friend. However, it was hard to cast doubt on the character of a friend who you hoped would be more than a friend, in more ways than one.

 

As the minutes ticked by, the ball of ice in Clark's stomach grew colder. He knew he would have to spend the weekend doing something he didn't normally like to do - ignore Chloe, his friend, who might have been a confidante in so many things if Clark only had the courage not to care what his parents thought. She could probably find out more about him, where he came from, why he was the way he was... being a reporter and all. But telling her everything was about as implausible as telling Lex how he really felt. Completely. Implausible.

 

When class let out, Clark beat her to the punch, starting off the conversation with what he hoped was a witty, "There's nothing like fifty minutes of Mr. Austin's English class to work up an appetite." Maybe it would make them think about food, instead, and they could go to Beanery for something to eat, since the Talon wasn't open yet. Or Clark could escape to do his own interview with... he hadn't even looked at his paper yet, he was so worried about Chloe.

 

Clark's best friend since childhood, Pete Ross, drove the conversation in a different direction. "There's nothing like having a 6-page student biography due Monday to help me lose mine." Why did Pete have to return the topic to the biography itself? Clark thought helplessly. He berated himself for the thought, because Pete didn't know. If Pete knew, he would have been able to pick up on his cues more easily. But Pete didn't know, did he? No one did, no one except for his parents.

 

Somehow, Clark managed to participate in the conversation, even though their voices became a blur behind the whirring of his thoughts. It was Chloe's words that finally brought him back to the present like a splash of cold water in his face. "Yes, and I'm sure that once I deploy my journalistic skills on you, I'll be able to unearth a skeleton or two."

 

Don't do that, please, Clark thought. He tried to remind Chloe that it was just an English assignment, not a corruption scandal, but she didn't let him get away with it. "Relax, Clark, it's not like you have anything to hide, right?"

 

If only you knew, Chloe. If only you knew.

 

Their eyes locked and Chloe stared at him for an endless moment, and Clark could swear she trembled. Then he looked away and she shook herself, and he heard Pete asking who his partner was.

 

That would be good to know, actually. And get them off the topic of Chloe's pending interrogation.

 

The ball of ice in Clark's stomach melted the moment he saw her name. Lana Lang's name in her own delicate scrawl, the solution to his dilemma daintily written across the page. He would go interview Lana, the girl next door and his habitual crush since childhood. Since before he'd known the stronger pull toward the males of the species. And wasn't that just crushingly accurate?

 

Well, he'd promised to help Lana at the Talon anyway. Clark's stomach clenched again when Chloe asked about the interview. "Right." About that, Chloe, can we cancel it? "I'll be around."

 

Chloe's parting words made Clark feel even guiltier. "Did he just blow me off?"

 

It's not about you, Chloe, he wanted to say. It's about me, and I can't help it. Can't you just let me go?

 

***

 

Lana wasn't the first person Clark saw when he approached the Talon. It was Lex, talking secretively with a tall, dark, and agitated man, who took something from Lex's hand and then stalked away.

 

"Hey, Lex."

 

Lex looked at him and said "Hey," perfectly calmly, as if he hadn't just been having a mysterious exchange in broad daylight. So, Lex wanted Clark to act like he hadn't seen anything.

 

Like Lex ever acted like he hadn't seen anything when he saw Clark do something. "Who was that?" Clark asked casually, not surprised when Lex brushed him off with a terse 'nobody' and walked into the Talon.

 

"I hear we've sprung a leak," Lex said, almost carefully, and Clark understood why when he saw the look on Lana's face. Like she wasn't even in the same room with them, like she didn't recognize Clark and Lex.

 

"Is everything all right?"

 

Although her answer was, at first, vague, Lana soon revealed that a friend of Lex's had applied for the position of manager at the Talon. The way she said it, though, Clark wasn't convinced the applicant was any friend of Lex's. "He told me to stay away from you," she concluded, and Clark suddenly had the feeling that the hair was standing up on the back of his neck. This always happened, something that made him doubt Lex, even though he shouldn't believe any of them, he should hear Lex's side of the story first. Because Lex had always been a good friend to him, and he had a great place to hang out, and he was... Clark dropped his eyes, knowing he was doing it again. Letting his feelings for Lex color his interpretation of all the signs his parents warned him about.

 

"What was his name?"

 

Lana had to look at the application. "Jude Royce."

 

Lex may have been white before, but now he was as white as a ghost. Snow white. You could have made angels in his skin. "What is it, Lex?"

 

But Lex ignored him. "When did he leave?"

 

"Just before you came in..." Lana's voice trailed off as Lex rushed outside, turning his head to look frantically up and down the street.

 

"Lex." Clark would've thought he didn't have Lex's attention if Lex hadn't tilted his head just slightly toward Clark's voice. "Who's Jude Royce?"

 

"Trust me, Clark. I have no idea who Lana met today, but it couldn't have been him. Don't worry about it, Clark. I'm not."

 

Clark was about to protest, ask Lex how he could be so sure, but the moment Lex turned the key in the ignition music was flooding out of the car, music so loud Clark had to cover his ears to keep from falling over. "What's going on?" he shouted, leaning into the car as Lex tried futilely to adjust the volume on the radio. That was when Clark heard the words, not just music but loud words saying killer and murderer, screaming at Lex and the entire town of Smallville. Without thinking, Clark x-rayed the car, and located a CD player under the dash. He raised his voice over the music, "Check under the dash!" and Lex did, ripping out the CD player and leaving Main Street in thick, stunned silence.

 

"Looks like someone decided to get creative while I was inside," Lex said, perfectly calm, again, and this time he had even less of a right to.

 

"Lex..." Clark wanted to grab him by the shoulders, shake the truth out of him, get past that stone-wall exterior and find out what the hell was going on.

 

"This really doesn't concern you," Lex said stiffly. And peeled away.

 

Chloe's words echoed in his mind. Did he just blow me off?

 

***

 

Chloe's voice was no longer an echo when Clark arrived home.

 

"Pull up a microphone, son."

 

Oh, shit. He was in such big trouble, he should have known Chloe would come here, even though she shouldn't - and she only shouldn't because of his stupid secrets. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Clark reached nervously for a glass, giving himself an excuse to turn away from the interview. When Chloe asked about his adoption, Clark paused for a moment, because he didn't know anything about it. He held his breath waiting for their answer - and then her tape ran out. Chloe excused herself, running out to her car to get more tapes.

 

"Chloe's researching your life for a school project?"

 

Damnit, he knew they were going to do this, make it sound like his fault when he had nothing to do with it. When he wanted nothing to do with it and Chloe, of course, made the assignment so much more than it was supposed to be. "We just got the assignment today. I didn't know she was going to make such a big deal..."

 

"Clark..."

 

"She's always wanted to pry into my life, Dad! You know she likes me, she wants to know everything about me. She thinks there's some big secret to expose..." But there was, there were so many secrets. And his parents knew that, but what if... what if... "Mom." She looked up suddenly, fear in her eyes, and Clark held up his free hand. "What if I give her another big secret to expose?"

 

"Clark. What are you talking about?"

 

"God. You know what I'm talking about!" Clark made himself loosen his grip on the glass in his hand, taking a few steadying breaths. He couldn't believe he was about to suggest it, but it was better than the alternative. And Chloe would have the big story about Clark Kent - or so she would think.

 

"Clark."

 

Clark refused to look at his father. "I'll tell her I'm gay. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, at least she'll stop snooping around my life like this!"

 

"Clark. That's not the kind of thing you can just go around telling people."

 

"What?" Clark's grip tightened on the glass when he heard Chloe's voice. "What don't you just go around telling people? Are you an alien or something?" She smirked.

 

Clark closed his eyes and blew out a steadying breath. "I'm gay," he blurted.

 

"Oh, my God..."

 

When Clark opened his eyes, Chloe was staring at him, but not -- she was staring at his hand. The hand with the - wait - the glass wasn't in it any more.

 

"Clark, are you okay?" Clark stared down at the shattered pieces of glass on the floor by his feet, barely feeling Chloe's hands on his, turning his hand over, inspecting it. When the look on her face finally registered, Clark pulled away abruptly.

 

She hadn't had time to see anything. She couldn't have. Right?

 

"Clark..."

 

Clark ignored her whisper. He couldn't look at her, or his parents. "I have to go." And, shouldering his backpack, he took off out the door. Hopefully, at what was a human speed.

 

***

 

"So, how does it feel?" It was a question Clark was trying to answer about himself, but he asked Lana, for the interview. How did it feel? It felt relieving to be with someone who didn't want to know all his secrets, who had a boyfriend and therefore wasn't obsessed with him. It was good to be outside on a warm spring night with a girl who'd become one of his best friends, sipping freshly made lemonade that reminded him of summer in his mother's kitchen. Last summer when he'd known far less about his own lack of normalness and only had to worry about being a little faster, a little stronger, and a little more attracted to boys.

 

"Feel?"

 

"To single-handedly bring the Talon back from the brink of becoming a parking garage."

 

That quiet chuckle was something that had made Clark look at Lana differently a few times, wonder if he really was gay. "It's nice, you know? Being counted on, having responsibility. People treat you differently."

 

"Responsibility's overrated," Clark said with a grin, and Lana laughed again. It was nice, smiling at Lana and having her smile back. But the moment was ruined by the sound of a car engine.

 

Or... not ruined, when Clark saw who it was.

 

"Contractor called," Lex said briskly, stepping out of his car, "said he had an estimate. Wanted me to meet him here." Clark exchanged a look with Lana. That would mean they were one step closer to opening - not that money was an object with Lex as partner - but why didn't Lana know about it? Clark didn't have time to think about that, though, because he heard Lex say abruptly, "What the hell?" Which was odd for Lex, who generally used more urbane, sophisticated language, and didn't seem to be surprised by much at all.

 

Lana noticed the contractor on the floor before Clark did. "Are you okay?" As the contractor cringed and put his hand to a bloody wound on his head, Clark did a quick scan for internal trauma, but he didn't see anything. Clark narrowed his eyes, aware of a prickling sensation moving up his spine. The glass in his fingers felt wrong, and when he looked down, he realized that the condensation was no longer running down the sides. That -- didn't make sense...

 

"Yeah. I-I came in the back door and some guy jumped me and forced me to let him in, then bashed me over the head," the contractor stammered as Lex helped him up. He didn't look at Lana when he answered her question.

 

Nor did he look at Clark when Clark asked, "Did you see his face?"

 

"No."

 

Something didn't seem right, but Clark couldn't put his finger on it. How long ago had the guy been knocked out? Lana had been waiting for him, to be interviewed, when he arrived, and said she'd just locked up. They'd just started the interview when Lex showed up, and he'd never heard any noises, no hints of a struggle. Maybe he was being paranoid...

 

Clark scanned the Talon for any clues as to what might have happened, and his eyes fell on a box on the counter. When Clark pushed the ribbon aside, he saw a card with Lex's name written on it.

 

"That wasn't there when I locked up," Lana confirmed, her voice shaking a little. "I'll go call the police."

 

Clark nodded absently as Lana headed for the phone. "Lex, your name's on it." Suddenly Lex was right beside him, his breathing too still, his hand next to Clark's on the card. Clark took a step back. This wasn't the time for him to be thinking about how close Lex was, how his hand was almost touching Clark's. Clark nervously raised the glass of lemonade to his lips, and stopped. And looked into the glass.

 

The lemonade -- was a solid piece of ice. What the hell?

 

"Zero consequences," Lex read quietly, and Clark blinked. There were tremors in Lex's hands as he lifted the lid off the top of the box, and then Lex was as pale as he'd been when he heard Jude Royce's name this afternoon.

 

It was a human hand. Severed at the wrist, skin as dark as the man Lex had been talking to this afternoon, not long before someone had gotten creative with Lex's car and pointed the finger of murder at him in front of the Talon.

 

Was Lex... a murderer?

 

***

 

The police arrived soon after Lana made the call. Clark did his best to comfort her, awkward in his conversation, distracted by the fact that he'd doubted Lex. Not had - the fact that he did doubt Lex. He didn't want to, it was the last thing he wanted to do, but what was he supposed to think?

 

"That guy warned me. He said everything Lex touches turns out badly. How much do we really know about him and his past?"

 

Not much, Clark realized. Everything he knew about Lex dated back to less than a year, and the things his father and the papers said about him. But Clark had never listened to his father and he always discounted the tabloids.

 

He didn't want them to be right.

 

"I want you both to know how truly sorry I am about this." Clark swallowed guiltily as Lex approached them, feeling like Lex could see inside his mind. "I promise this won't affect the grand opening."

 

Was that all Lex had to say? It wouldn't affect the grand opening? What about the fact that someone Lex probably knew was probably dead, and Lex might be the cause of it? Was he just going to let that go? Keep it to himself? Make Clark wonder?

 

"We're going to be infamous before we even open the doors," Lana moaned, and walked away. Clark almost wanted to do the same thing.

 

"Do you know who he is?" Clark asked instead, hoping that Lex would give him at least some answers. "The guy in the... you know." Box.

 

"Max Kasitch." When Lex said the man's name, an image of the hand flashed into Clark's mind, and he remembered that there had been a ring on the hand, boldly displaying the letter K. The sun had glinted off it, too, when Lex had been talking to him on the street. "And yes, I knew him a long time ago in Metropolis."

 

Lex claimed to have no idea who might have chopped Kasitch's hand off. "What about your old friend Jude Royce?" He didn't use quite as much sarcasm with the word 'friend' as Lana had, but Lex looked up sharply when he did. Clark met him stare for stare.

 

"I doubt it could have been him, Clark."

 

"Why?" Why, Lex? Why are you lying to me? What do you know that you're not telling me? This isn't all happening for no reason!

 

"Because he's been dead for three years."

 

And Clark, who was never cold, suddenly felt like a bucket of ice had been poured over his head.

 

***

 

The streetlights cast long shadows in front of Clark as he made his way to Smallville High. He wasn't moving as fast as he could, mostly because he didn't like what he was about to do. But Lex had left him with no other option. If he wouldn't tell the truth about what was going on, Clark would have to find out for himself, and The Torch had just the resources he needed.

 

Clark was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the lights were on in the Torch office until he stepped through the doorway and heard the telltale sound of typing. Chloe saw him before he even had a chance to hesitate.

 

"Wh-what are you doing here?" he stammered. The air seemed full of tension, clogging his throat. The last time he'd seen her was when he'd told her he was gay. Clark hadn't had time to consider the ramifications of that, and now he studied Chloe, trying to see if she was looking at him differently.

 

"I could ask you the same thing." There was something different in the way she was looking at him. Resignation, somehow. She must have liked him more than he realized. Chloe sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry, it's just, it's after midnight, and I'm..."

 

"Tired?" he offered. Chloe nodded. Clark reached for one of the unused chairs and pulled it up to beside where Chloe was sitting. Her fingers twitched on the mouse, and the desktop took over the computer monitor.

 

"I was just... doing some research, you know." The internet windows were minimized, but Clark could see the titles - homosexuality, safe sex, So your boyfriend...

 

"So your boyfriend is what?" he asked, even though he knew the answer. Fingers rubbing her temples, Chloe looked down, laughing quietly, self-deprecatingly.

 

"Gay," she said quietly. For some reason Clark felt like apologizing, but if she was reading those things, she knew it wasn't his fault, right? But he wasn't her boyfriend, he thought belatedly. "So, are you?"

 

"No," he said quickly, then shook his head. She was asking about whether he was gay, not whether he was her boyfriend. "Yes... I don't know. I'm not straight." He shrugged helplessly.

 

After a long pause, Chloe said something he wasn't expecting. "Wow." The way she said it made him a little uncomfortable - it had to be the note of awe in her voice. Because it wasn't awesome. It was... the way it was. When she looked at him, though, head tilted thoughtfully, her eyes clear, a sad smile on her face, Clark felt less uncomfortable. More... different. "So this is your big secret."

 

Clark wanted with everything in him to say no, that there was a bigger secret, so big she could never guess at it. But he knew he couldn't. It was too big. "Yeah," he answered sheepishly. Chloe lifted a tentative hand to his shoulder, then pulled back abruptly. Like she thought she shouldn't.

 

"I - I don't care, you know." That was a lie, Clark could tell by the look on her face. She did care, because it meant he'd never feel about her the way she felt about him. It was times like these that he wished he could change what he was, just to make her smile the way he should be able to. "I mean, not like... that. I don't think of you any differently because you're... gay." Her gaze flickered to the computer screen and then back to his face. "Is that the word you use?"

 

"The word...? Gay?" Chloe nodded soberly. "I don't... really... use a word..." Chloe nodded again, and at this point it seemed mechanical. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

 

"What? No! Oh, no, Clark, not if you don't want me to." Her hand was comforting on his arm for a moment, and then she smiled, that same old smile that made Clark smile back. "So... wait. Hey. What are you doing here? If you don't mind my asking," she added quickly.

 

There was nothing like the thought of a severed hand to make sexual orientation seem like a distant problem. Clark recounted the entire afternoon to Chloe, from the stranger Lex was talking to on the street whose hand ended up in a box to the music in Lex's car and Lex's supposedly dead friend who had applied for a managerial position at the Talon. Chloe listened, fascinated.

 

"No offense, Clark," she said when he was done, her eyes sparkling, "but I think I'm a little better at the investigative reporter thing than you, and I lie considerably better." Her grin made Clark smile with relief, letting Clark know that she wasn't angry. "It could take a few days, but I've got a whole weekend, and it's not life or death, right?" Clark raised his eyebrows. "Well, except for our friends Max Kasitch and Jude Royce. I'll get right on it," she promised, turning back to the computer and shutting all the gay searches. Clark supposed that was his cue to leave, but he paused in the doorway at her voice. "You know I won't tell anyone, Clark. About... you know. And I'm honored that you decided to tell me, even though I know it was only because I was being pushy about the interview."

 

Clark turned to look at her over his shoulder, and saw only sincerity in her face. "It's okay," he assured her.

 

Some part of him insisted that it was.

 

***

 

Clark expected his parents to be waiting up for him when he returned home so late. They weren't, though, and instead of being relieved, he was disappointed. They must have been upset with him. Why else wouldn't they be sitting there waiting to give him the third degree about where he'd been all night and what the hell had he been thinking, telling Chloe he was gay?

 

Needless to say, he didn't sleep well that night. As usual, he was awake before the sun rose, and as usual, he helped his father take care of the farm. That was the only usual thing about the morning. Clark felt like he was expected to apologize, or say something, and his father didn't initiate any kind of conversation. So they worked in silence, checking fence rails and feeding the livestock. It was arguably the worst morning of his week.

 

Dad didn't even sit down to have breakfast with them. Said he had to get supplies in Metropolis and ignored the look on Mom's face. Dad had been mad at him before, but never like this. Clark couldn't remember the last time his father had gone so long without talking to him.

 

Mom tried to talk to him after Dad left, but after a conversation that was pretty much one-sided, she gave up and went to do laundry. That was when Clark took one of the ice cube trays out of the freezer, set it down on the kitchen table, and started to experiment.

 

He knew from before that he could easily melt the ice if he focused. Originally, he'd only been able to burn things by mistake, when he'd been so hard he thought he might explode if he didn't touch himself and then he actually did explode, in an entirely different way, bizarre heat emanating from his eyes.

 

It had taken a while to learn to control his reaction, but now he could create heat rays independently of sexual arousal. Being turned on didn't even make his eyes hot any more. For a while there, Clark had worried that sex would never be the same for him again. Not that he'd had any actual sexual partners, but he'd wondered if the only way he would come from then on would be through his eyes.

 

Fortunately, that had turned out not to be the case. It was simply a case of his channeling energy toward his eyes, and aiming at the object in question.

 

Now came the challenge. Clark stared hard at the tray that contained nothing but lukewarm water. Nothing happened. He superfocused his eyes, but that only made steam raise from the tray. Before he melted the tray, Clark stopped, and tried to think of how it had happened before. The lemonade turning into solid ice. The glass in his hand growing so cold and brittle that it broke with less force than was usually required for him to destroy objects with his physical strength. Or had it been this suspected ability that had made Chloe shiver under his gaze yesterday afternoon?

 

There didn't seem to be any connection between the events besides the fact that something unexpected and worrisome had just happened. Not just worrisome; Clark had been scared out of his wits. Knowing that Chloe was going to go after his secret, coming out to her in front of his parents, seeing the severed hand at the Talon. The same cold grip of fear started to overwhelm him as it had before, and when Clark looked down, ice crystals were forming on the sections of water.

 

So what was it? It wasn't his eyes. Was it his thoughts? He thought of the same things again, and the chill that went through his body wasn't as strong as before, nor did anything happen to the water. Clark furrowed his eyebrows and sighed in frustration, and froze. Just as the water did the same thing.

 

Water no more. The tray was full of ice cubes.

 

***

 

By the time the sun started going down, Clark was getting restless. He'd resisted the impulse to call Chloe, wanting to give her the chance to call him first. He'd also been hoping he could get some information from Lex before having to rely on the results of Chloe's investigation. It seemed more... honest that way.

 

Dad was still in Metropolis, and Mom was folding laundry in the living room. "I'm going over to Lex's," he called over his shoulder, and sped out the door before she could answer.

 

It was dark by the time he reached the mansion. He keyed in the security code for the gate and made his way to Lex's office, but Lex wasn't there. Just some official-looking people in suits who wouldn't tell him where Lex was until he gave his name. Once he said he was Clark Kent, though, they informed him that Lex was in the gymnasium.

 

Clark hadn't spent much time in that part of the mansion, but he knew where it was. He made his way through the corridors, trying to work up what he was going to say to Lex. There were so many things he wanted to know, but he didn't know how to ask. How do you ask your best friend to tell you he's not a murderer?

 

"...kill me now?"

 

Oh no, that was Lex's voice. Clark hesitated outside the door, just long enough to hear some taunting reply and the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. Not hesitating a moment longer, Clark burst into the room, looking around breathlessly. "Lex!" Lex whipped his head around to look at Clark, his entire body tense, sweat soaking through his clothes. "Are you okay?"

 

Lex rolled his shoulders and collected himself, a calmer expression masking his face. "Clark, what are you doing here?"

 

"Your office told me you were here." Clark looked around the gymnasium. The punching back was still swinging on its chain. "I thought I heard someone else." He knew he heard someone else. Someone threatening Lex with a gun.

 

"No, I'm all by myself."

 

You are now, Clark thought. Frustrated, he sat on the bench near the wall, trying to figure out what he could say that wouldn't result in another lie from Lex. "So, what was the deal with Club Zero?" When Lex looked at him through shadowed eyes, Clark rephrased the question. "I mean, what kind of club was it?" He hadn't been able to find any information on the internet, so he assumed it is pretty exclusive. Just the kind of club someone like Lex would be able to get into.

 

"What kind of club do you think it was?" Lex sounded... amused.

 

"I don't know, what kind of clubs are there?" Clark shrugged, his cheeks heating up when he continued. "Gentlemen's clubs, gay clubs, S&M clubs..." Clark let his voice trail off. He tried to smile or laugh, make it sound like a joke, but Lex's expression remained flat.

 

"Gentlemen's clubs," Lex repeated wryly. "Do I seem like someone who would spend my time in a gentleman's club, or a gay club, for that matter?"

 

Well, he wouldn't be coming out to Lex any time soon, that was for sure. Clark tried not to look disappointed. "I don't know, are you gay?" Yeah, that was pretty direct.

 

But Clark noticed, with both surprise and relief, that Lex was actually chuckling. "So, you're just going to come out and ask me," he murmured. Not so much with the coming out, Clark thought.

 

Then Lex was looking at him, sober and steady. "Clark, I don't believe in labels. We are what we are, and assigning someone to a label doesn't change who they are, but it does change the way people react to them." Lex seemed be waiting for an answer, so Clark nodded. And Lex continued, "That being said, I'm what you might call pansexual."

 

Clark must have looked confused, because Lex shook his head. "What I'm trying to say, Clark, is that I don't conform to society's idea of quote-unquote 'normal' sexual relationships. And I'm only telling you this because I think you're mature enough to handle it." Lex stared at him intensely, and Clark had to make an effort not to squirm. "Are you?"

 

"I'm seventeen," was all Clark could think to say. Lex narrowed his eyes at Clark for a moment, then his face cleared.

 

"That's right, you started school late." Lex came to sit beside Clark on the bench. "I would assume, at least, if you're comfortable asking about my sexuality, then my answer doesn't make you uncomfortable."

 

Clark thought about that for a moment. "I don't think so... I mean, I don't really understand it, but I'm not... uncomfortable." He really wasn't. He thought.

 

"Okay. Good." Lex was silent for a long, thoughtful moment. He opened his mouth to speak, and Clark's heart started to race. What if Lex was going to ask if he was gay? But then Lex seemed to change his mind, closing his mouth and then opening it again. "It was an ice club."

 

"An ice club?"

 

"Yes." Lex stood up then, and made his way over to a refrigerator Clark hadn't noticed before. "Drink?" Lex asked, and Clark shook his head. Lex took out two blue bottles anyway, setting one on the floor in front of Clark and keeping the other in his hand as he sat down again. "Have you ever heard of ice hotels? There's a fairly well-known one in Stockholm. Sweden?"

 

"Right."

 

"Hotels made completely out of ice. The walls, the bars - the ice bars are popular." Lex twisted the cap off his bottle and took a sip. "They serve drinks in ice, instead of on ice. You have to wear specially insulated clothing so you don't get frostbite," he added before Clark could think to ask how they dealt with the cold. "Club Zero was based on those ice hotels."

 

"Was?" Clark asked.

 

Lex nodded and took another sip. "It was a private establishment, supported by the more well-endowed members. A kind of country club for the hot rebellious offspring of the rich and famous." Lex grinned, but only for a few seconds. Then his smile faded. "Until an incident a few years ago. Members started withdrawing their support, and about six months ago, it was closed down because it wasn't up to regulation." Lex smiled ironically. "Damn bureaucrats."

 

"Yeah right," Clark said with a smirk. One day Lex was going to be one of those 'damn bureaucrats'. It was only a matter of time. "So, this incident... did it have anything to do with what happened yesterday?"

 

Lex's open expression closed up completely, and a block of ice settled in Clark's stomach. "Please, Clark. For our friendship, I'm asking you to stay out of this. Some secrets are better left alone."

 

"Lex, that's not fair," he whispered.

 

"Life isn't fair, Clark," Lex replied harshly. Looking away, he put down his water, dropping his head into his hands, rubbing his forehead and then his temples with his fingers. When he looked at Clark again, his eyes were so full of sorrow it took Clark's breath away. "Some things you can't change."

 

"But some things you can," Clark insisted. Lex just tucked his hands in his pockets and bowed his head. "Lex?"

 

"You should probably go, Clark. I'm afraid I'm not going to be very good company tonight."

 

"You don't have to be." Clark put a hand on Lex's shoulder, and felt it tense, but Lex didn't move away. "I'm not just a fair-weather friend." When Lex didn't respond, Clark squeezed his shoulder, moving closer. "Everything that happened yesterday..."

 

"Can't be changed," Lex replied. Clark sighed. "Go home, before your parents start worrying about you. I'll be here tomorrow."

 

But what if you aren't? Clark wondered suddenly. Reluctantly, he got up to leave, but the premises were silent, and there were no signs of anyone besides the two of them. There was no reason for him to worry about Lex. What was done was done.

 

"Goodnight, Lex," he said quietly. He almost didn't hear Lex's 'goodnight'.

 

He hoped Lex was going to be okay.

 

***

 

Sunday morning started as quietly as the morning before, except this time Clark was feeling sober instead of awkward and his father seemed to be trying to get up the nerve to say something. Clark would have put his back into the work if it were possible to do that without crushing everything he touched, but since that wasn't an option, he practiced using his breath to freeze the particles in the air. He could see the effect of his breath the same way he usually could in the winter, when the temperature was below zero and snow covered the farm. It was a particularly beautiful time of year, and since Clark didn't feel the extreme cold or have to work hard to shovel the snow, it was one of his favorite seasons.

 

"Listen, Clark," his father began, his voice gruff with determination. "I don't think you made a wise decision telling Chloe that you were gay, especially when it isn't true." Clark's head snapped up. "That's not going to change the ways you're different."

 

"I am different, Dad." Clark focused his vision on the horizon, knowing that if he looked at his father the stinging in his eyes might actually turn into tears. "It is true. It's the one thing I've been able to not lie to her about all year!"

 

"Clark, I know how much you want Chloe to think you're being honest with her--"

 

"Dad!" Clark sucked in a breath, fully expecting to be berated for raising his voice to his father, but nothing happened. "Dad," he said, more calmly, "I'm gay. I know. Trust me, this isn't something I would pretend."

 

No answer. Dad just went back to loading up bales of hay, and Clark wondered if he'd imagined the thing. Until Dad spoke again. "Clark, I don't know if you're gay or not, but I do know one thing. You may not want to hear what I have to say, and you might not believe me, but every decision you make has consequences. You have to be even more careful than most people. Son," he said, finally turning to look at Clark and putting a hand on Clark's shoulder, "I don't want you to get hurt."

 

He stared at his father. "I'm not going to get hurt, Dad. I promise."

 

"I wish I knew that were the truth, Son. I really do." Dad was quiet for a minute. Then his forehead creased into lines of concentration. "Do you hear that?"

 

Clark listened; he couldn't hear anything. "Hear what?"

 

"The whole herd's just over that rise, we ought to be hearing something."

 

He had a point. Clark sped in front of his father, coming to a full stop when he saw what was on the other side.

 

All the cows were dead.

 

***

 

As soon as they saw the barrels bearing the LuthorCorp logo lying tipped over on the ground, spilling out toxic chemicals, Clark's father started muttering about how of course it was the Luthors. In a moment of doubt, that was Clark's first thought, too. The evidence was damning.

 

Too damning.

 

"What do you think happened?" Chloe must have been listening to the police scanner, Clark thought. He smiled shyly as Chloe's investigative instincts took over, her fingers busy snapping pictures with the Torch's digital camera. "Why would LuthorCorp dump their stuff here?" They wouldn't, Clark thought. And if they did, they wouldn't dump stuff using such obviously labeled containers. "I - I think I'm going to go take some from different angles," Chloe said suddenly, and skittered away. Clark blinked up -- at Lex.

 

"Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I have no idea how this could've happened, but I'll do everything in my power to find out." Lex hadn't noticed him yet. "And I'll pay for your livestock, of course."

 

Clark cringed. That wouldn't be of any comfort to his father, who said, "You think that's how you solve everything, don't you, Lex?"

 

Clark sighed defeatedly, turning away to lean against the rail and watch the hazardous materials guys work on cleaning up the mess that had been left behind. Lex had to have been framed. And it had to have been the same person who tampered with Lex's car and left the severed hand at the Talon.

 

"You sprinkle a little money on it and hope the problem goes away," Clark's dad continued. "Well, obviously some things are a little more difficult than that."

 

Lex's posture visibly fell as Clark's parents walked away, and all Clark wanted to do was put his arms around Lex. But he couldn't help wondering why Lex didn't just explain what was going on if it would keep him from getting the blame.

 

He watched Lex straighten himself up before walking over to join Clark in leaning against the fence. "I didn't think it was possible to fall any further in your father's eyes." Lex's eyes were distant. "Obviously, I was wrong." Seeming to come back to himself, Lex turned to face Clark. "You know I'd never intentionally allow something like this to happen."

 

"I know." Clark squared his shoulders. "Does this have anything to do with Club Zero?"

 

"I think so."

 

"You need to tell the authorities everything you know." He swallowed hard before continuing, but maybe it was what he needed to say to get Lex to tell the truth. "This isn't just about you anymore."

 

"Trust me, Clark," Lex said steadily, "If this were just about me, none of this would be happening."

 

Clark pleaded with his eyes for Lex to tell him more, but Lex was called away by one of the officers. His shoulders slumping, Clark returned to stand with his parents. No matter what had happened on Friday, they had more important things to worry about now than Clark's sexuality.

 

***

 

"All right, well just tell him Clark Kent called. Thank you." Clark hung up the phone, frustrated. He'd been calling Lex all afternoon and not having any success. No one had seen him since the C.E.P. crew arrived.

 

"Who was that?" Mom had come into the kitchen, and her face was worried with deep lines.

 

"I'm trying to reach Lex. He's not in the office, and he's not at the mansion and his cell phone goes straight to voicemail. Where's Dad?"

 

"Still supervising the removal of the cows."

 

"But Lex said-"

 

"Clark?" The screen door banged shut behind Chloe. When neither of them said anything, she hesitantly held up some papers. "I followed up on the lead on Club Zero. I think I found something."

 

Clark nodded guiltily, and motioned Chloe to one of the chairs. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked, well aware of his mother watching both of them.

 

"No, I'm okay." Chloe smiled shakily and looked up at Clark's mother. "Hi, Mrs. Kent."

 

"Hi Chloe," she said briskly, sending Clark a we'll-talk-later look. "I'll leave you and Clark alone."

 

After a few awkward moments of silence, Chloe got right down to business. She spread out all her papers in front of her, pointing to each one as she mentioned it. "I found this old copy of The Inquisitor. It has a story from about three years ago. Our friend Max Kasitch? Supposedly shot and killed our other friend Jude Royce." She looked significantly at Clark. "Now look at these photos I took this morning. Look familiar?"

 

Clark studied the photo in question, then the grainier picture in The Inquisitor. There was no doubt about it; the man who claimed to be a C.E.P. officer was a doppelganger to Jude Royce. Clark turned his head before Chloe could see that the air in front of his mouth was freezing.

 

"And I pulled the alleged Mr. Royce's application for a position at the Talon, ran the license plate he gave. It's registered to John Smith. Very original. He has an address in Metropolis and he does not work for the C.E.P. So Jude Royce isn't dead."

 

"And now he's coming back to get his revenge on everyone. Max Kasitch..."

 

"...if that's the guy who really shot Jude." Chloe exchanged a look with Clark.

 

"Lex didn't do it," Clark said firmly, even though he wasn't entirely sure. Chloe seemed just as skeptical.

 

"Either way," she said slowly, "I think Lex is in serious trouble."

 

***

 

Clark ran all the way to Metropolis. There was no time to waste. When he arrived at the address Chloe had found, his breath caught in his throat.

 

They were taking out a body.

 

It can't be Lex, he thought desperately. X-raying through the body-bag, he found proof that it wasn't, unless Lex was missing a hand too. And was more than a foot taller than he'd been this morning.

 

Clark's next destination was Club Zero - or at least, the warehouse that used to be Club Zero. He had to find Lex. It had only been a few hours since anyone had seen Lex, but that was a few hours too many. Lex was always reachable, at least by phone. And Lex wouldn't have just left without saying anything. Would he?

 

Clark could imagine it now. He went out on a limb to find Lex when Lex was really in his office - even though Clark had searched the entire mansion - and he would never be able to face Lex again. He overreacted, he...

 

Club Zero. There it was.

 

A momentary scan confirmed exactly what Clark had feared. He sped inside. Lex was slumped against a fish tank on a balcony, water dripping from the ceiling, down the walls. Lex was shivering violently in a straitjacket, even more so when drops of water fell on his head.

 

"Killing me won't bring Amanda back." Lex's teeth were chattering. "None of this can change what happened."

 

"I don't care." That was -- Clark recognized the guy with the gun as the contractor, the one who'd claimed to be hit over the head just before the hand had shown up. "After tonight, you'll never hurt anyone else. You can't escape your past, Lex."

 

Before the contractor could pull the trigger, Clark aimed heat from his eyes at the gun, making it burn in the man's hand. He dropped the gun with a startled shout, and Lex jerked backwards, the force of his head breaking the fish tank behind him.

 

Everything was happening at once, and Clark had to figure out what to do as he ran. He aimed heat at a set of sprinklers that went off all over the contractor and Lex, then aimed cold water at the contractor, his eyes widening as he was encased in ice. Clark sped to the floor in time to catch Lex as he fell.

 

"Clark?" he asked weakly. The contractor was frozen in place. Sirens sounded in the background. Lex was pale, his teeth still chattering, his entire body soaked from the water of the aquarium.

 

"It's okay, Lex. We're going to get you to a hospital."

 

"No hospitals," Lex whispered, and Clark would have argued if he hadn't spent his life avoiding hospitals. So Clark found the quickest way out without speeding, and easily found another abandoned warehouse where they would be undisturbed.

 

"How'd you find me?" Lex asked weakly.

 

"With a little help from my friends." Growing serious, Clark started stripping Lex out of his wet clothes. Lex didn't argue or fight, didn't even seem to notice until Clark started taking his own clothes off.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"I have to get you warm," he muttered, almost to himself. He was reluctant to risk letting Lex find out just how much he liked him, but he had to put dignity aside in order to make sure Lex didn't get hypothermia. When he was down to his boxers, Clark drew Lex against his chest, tossing his dry coat around Lex's thin shoulders. Clark knew his body heat would help Lex warm up faster than any heated blanket could, faster even than any other human body. That was one of the advantages of being an alien.

 

For his part, Lex looked too exhausted to protest. Clark held him close, focusing on his sense of touch to make sure Lex was warming up. Trying not to enjoy it too much.

 

"Clark?" Lex said after a while.

 

"Mm?"

 

"Thanks for getting me out of there."

 

Clark smiled. "What are friends for?" Levering himself up on an elbow, he took a breath, studying Lex's face. "So, do you want to tell me what happened back there?"

 

For the longest time, Lex's face remained as impassive as stone. Even when he spoke, his expression was carefully masked. "I guess it doesn't matter anymore, since she's dead."

 

Clark cringed. "Amanda?"

 

Lex nodded. Didn't even ask how Clark knew. "She was engaged to Jude Royce. I knew he was cheating on her. She deserved better," Lex said passionately.

 

"She deserved you?"

 

Lex didn't acknowledge Clark's question. "One week Jude claimed he would be going out of town, asked me to watch Amanda for him." His mouth twisted at the irony. "I brought her to Club Zero, knowing full well he'd be there, knowing she'd see him for the scum he was. But it went wrong."

 

Lex's eyes became distant. "Jude knew I'd done it on purpose. He stabbed me. Amanda got a gun from somewhere and shot Jude, fuck, it happened so fast." Lex bowed his head, bringing him closer to Clark. Clark's heart hammered in his chest.

 

"I was trying to protect Amanda. My father wouldn't have raised a finger to help her, but I knew he'd do anything to save his only son. I told F-, the police that I had done it, so Dad would pay to cover it up. But it was only on the condition that I never spoke to or saw Amanda or Kasitch again. I couldn't say anything, Clark. I couldn't put their lives in jeopardy."

 

Clark considered that. He knew by now that Kasitch was dead, and considering the way Lex had said killing him wouldn't bring Amanda back - well, she had to be dead, too. There was no one left to be hurt by Lex breaking the rules of the deal. The fact that Lex had chosen to confide him was still some kind of miracle, however. "Thanks for telling me," he whispered.

 

Lex looked up to meet his eyes. "You saved my life, Clark. I'm not going to question your loyalty." He smiled for the first time in days. "You're a good friend."

 

"So that's it?" Clark pondered. "All this happened because you didn't want Amanda to get in trouble? That's the whole truth?" The way Lex looked at him, Clark decided not to press his luck. He'd already gotten enough truth out of Lex for a year. After all, it wasn't every day Lex confided in people. Even him.

 

"The truth is, I'd do anything to protect my friends."

 

"I know." Clark returned Lex's smile, and decided to take another huge risk. He cupped Lex's head in his hand, drawing him close. Clark didn't dare to kiss him on the mouth. Instead, he pressed his lips to Lex's smooth forehead, his body tingling everywhere they touched. That should be acceptable, especially considering they were lying together naked.

 

Lex relaxed into his touch, and for the first time in as long as Clark could remember, Lex wasn't tense, and neither of them were trying to pry secrets from each other. Lex was pliant in his arms, his body pleasantly warm. Safely warm.

 

Lex sighed, his warm breath caressing Clark's collar bone. Clark ran a hand over Lex's scalp, hoping to get Lex to look up at him, see if he would be willing to share a real kiss. When Lex just snuggled closer, Clark realized why he wouldn't be able to get his answer until later.

 

Lex was asleep.


End file.
